Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 14

Adding solar panels to your roof!

Have you checked into solar panels for your house? If not, are you curious to hear what they cost, what’s involved, and what they do for your energy bill?
This week on the Your Home Story Podcast, Ashley and her husband Luke are chatting about what they’ve learned when it comes to adding solar because it’s something they are seriously considering adding to their house.  Image of Ashley's home taken with their drone!
Helpful links to check out:
Project Sunroof by GooglePowerwall by Tesla Federal Tax...

Bathroom art! 14 FREE download art prints that are perfect for a bathroom

I recently helped a friend with a DIY bathroom reno. I'd love to share more about that one sometime soon since they did an awesome job!!! but once all the big stuff was done she said she felt good about it, but still needed art. I totally know what it's like to save art for last! (In fact, I mentioned it in this recent post with 3 things not to forget for your bathroom reno.) 

She said when she searched for ideas for "bathroom art" she got a lot of awkward potty-themed quote art. Nothing classy a...

Flagstone patio and dry rock creek install

Rock landscaping can drastically change the look of a yard! And is a great treatment for a shady spot or uneven hill. Flagstone pavers are really nice, too, a great way to get a really nice looking, flat patio area without pouring concrete.

Today on the Your Home Story Podcast, there’s a big breakdown of the rock creek and flagstone patio install that Ashley just put in at her house.
Links to things we talked about:
Flagstone patio and dry creek inspiration imagesReplacing mulch with rockLandscape...

Home tour: Classic brick Tudor Revival home filled with color and family

I am really enjoying bringing you these Instagram home tours!! This one is very special, another historic Tudor revival style home with similar elements to mine, but with lots of fun, colorful, family touches. Angela Fahl (@angela.fahl)'s Instagram features her home and her dad's craftsman across the street, which she's helped restore. Angela, her husband, and her four kids live in this special home! She has a special story for how they found this house, and they've done some beautiful updates.

T...

The Now Habit - what I learned about overcoming procrastination

Back in the day I used to share blog posts with my thoughts about nonfiction books I'd read. Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, The Happiness Project books, and Better Than Before really helped me and I enjoyed sharing my notes and favorite strategies with you. I don't have much time for nonfiction reading these days. But I did recently finish one (I read the first part from the physical copy, then sat on it for months till I gave up and listened to the rest via audioboo...

Interview with an expert: Closet organization!

Getting dressed is something we have to do every day, and having clothes we like is only part of that. How we store our clothing makes a huge difference on how easy or stressful that start to our day is. I just interviewed an expert in personal style and wardrobe strategy, Jennifer Mackey-Mary, about function and design for great closets, no matter how much space you have to work with.

Disclaimer: this is from my recent closet reno, before I had heard any of Jennifer's tips! I think I did pretty ...

Colorful living room update and refresh for spring!

Something's gotten into me... I'm all about color these days! Not bright or neon color, but saturated, usually dusty/muted color. Recently I've done color in our upstairs bathroom, Lucy's room (not finished yet but you can see it here), and my pink closet! And now our living room! This latest update is a bold one, and perfect timing for spring.

This post is sponsored by Joss & Main. 

I've been wishing for more seating in our living room since we moved in and we've moved it around several different...

Life, project, and podcast updates, and a sneak peek at Lucy's nursery

Time for some updates! I've had a lot of house and décor projects moving in the background lately and have some more planned.

We're doing a casual catch-up chat on the Your Home Story Podcast this week, talking about Ashley’s extra hair supplies (and where to store them), my projects with unique fabrics like the this Roman shade, and what’s coming up over the next month on the podcast.

One big one for me is Lucy's room and some projects in it. It's not done yet (notice the bare bulb! Pendant shade...

The beginnings of our garden this year: starting vegetables from seeds!

We've dabbled with vegetable gardening for many years but last year we had our first real garden, with a huge variety of plants and a lot of dedicated space in our yard. I had almost nothing to do with it; Jason did it all himself with advice and help from his mom, but I was totally convinced by the end of the summer after having plenty of vegetables to harvest every day.

We did almost everything from starts last year, which is a bit more expensive but we thought would also be a safer bet. This y...

Tips for ordering custom wood pieces and furniture

If you’ve been curious about what is involved in purchasing custom wood furniture pieces...

...then this episode of the Your Home Story Podcast is for you. From lead times to cost breakdowns and what you should be asking before you purchase… tune in for all the details!

Image source
Resources mentioned:
Matboard shop on EtsyMat Cutting TutorialRoom and Board Vanity in Ashley’s BathroomRoom and Board Bathroom VanitiesWren and CooperHedge House FurnitureAstoria ShuffleboardExotic Wood StoresQuestions ...